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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29234748">Of Blood And Tears</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/IlCannibaleDiFirenze/pseuds/IlCannibaleDiFirenze'>IlCannibaleDiFirenze</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hannibal (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Abusive Relationships, Angst, Betrayal, Blood and Injury, Blood and Violence, Buenos Aires, Cages, Captivity, Cruel Hannibal Lecter, Cruelty, Domestic Violence, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Established Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter, Extremely abusive behavior, Gore, Graphic Description, Hannibal Lecter is a Cannibal, Hannibal lecter is straight up an abusive piece of shit, M/M, Physical Abuse, Plot Twists, Post-Fall (Hannibal), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Religious Imagery &amp; Symbolism, Repentance, Symbolism, Trauma, Verbal Abuse, Victim Will Graham, Violence, Violent Thoughts, abusive Hannibal lecter, anger and betrayal, hostage, i warned you, violent Hannibal lecter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 09:28:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,951</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29234748</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/IlCannibaleDiFirenze/pseuds/IlCannibaleDiFirenze</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Will Graham was enjoying his new life with Hannibal in Buenos Aires, they seemed to be living a fairytale, until one day something changes.<br/>A folder containing extremely sensitive data gets intercepted by one of Hannibal’s connections, and this will change everything.</p><p>I need to warn you: the first chapter is going to be mild but from the second chapter on there will be a very detailed description of abuse and abusive behavior.<br/>If you cannot handle such a level of violence, play ease refrain from reading this fiction.</p><p>I will not reply to hate comments, this fiction is a projection of an abusive relationship I had in the past and I will not tolerate hate.<br/></p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Will Graham &amp; Hannibal Lecter, Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>51</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The folder</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Will never imagined they would come to this again.</p><p>They were in the kitchen after dinner, cleaning when Hannibal pulled out a knife on him.</p><p> </p><p>They had been living in Buenos Aires for the past three years and they were living a comfortable and quiet life. It seemed they have found their happy place.</p><p>Their routine was almost always the same unless the doctor came up with something new.</p><p>They would wake up with the chirping of the birds in the morning, they would cuddle in bed before getting up for a shower and breakfast. In the days where they felt lazy, they would stay in bed until late, shower, and then a brunch. Their afternoon was spent in their garden, Will would let Chanel, their new dog, a brown cocker spaniel, run free for a while as they relaxed reading a book, in those rare rainy days they would read inside with a good cup of tea.</p><p>Will would help him make dinner, Hannibal was even teaching him how to cook.</p><p>They had so much fun with even little things because they loved each other. No more tricks, nor manipulation between them, a genuine relationship.</p><p>Making love with Hannibal felt right, it felt like he truly loved him, it was gentle in the beginning. Will had never experienced things with a man so Hannibal introduced new things slowly.</p><p>He almost seemed a whole new person with Will.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>That evening Hannibal had been peculiarly silent, he thought it could be one of those evenings where Hannibal was battling with his past. He would caress his shoulder and press sweet kisses to his neck. A sort of way to say “I am here”.</p><p>He would have never expected him to pull a knife out on him. It was a sudden movement, he got a hold of him and pointed the blade at his neck, making him shiver in fear.</p><p>“Will dearest, mind following me?” He asked him, his tone was almost sarcastic when calling him “dearest”.</p><p>He could have fought back if he had seen it coming but it wasn’t like he had much of a choice at that point.</p><p>“Hannibal what...?” He asked him as they started walking together, the man didn’t give him an answer, he was silent until they reached his office upstairs.</p><p> </p><p>“Mind explaining this Will?” He said reaching for a file on his desk. It was an entire folder of documents, Will had to stop and read them to know what the hell that was all about.</p><p>Pages and pages of information written on them.</p><p>And they looked like they were written by Will himself.</p><p>They contained even the most sensitive data, where they lived, what time they got out, what time they got back home, where they shopped. Part of the portfolio contained also all the crimes they committed together in Buenos Aires.</p><p>They were extremely detailed and noted, but Will didn’t write those, he could never do something like that to him.</p><p> </p><p>“A good friend of mine intercepted this before you could send it to Jack,” Hannibal said taking a few steps, getting closer to him.</p><p>“Was this your plan Will?” He said grabbing his face with one hand, the other pointing the blade at him.</p><p>“To get me to fall in another of your traps? I have to admit this one was clever though. Make me fall into a sort of routine, make me believe we could have a normal life and a relationship, that you loved me, and then when I less expected it to give us to the hands of the FBI.</p><p>Very smart, cunning boy.” Hannibal’s words fell from his lips like poison, betrayal.</p><p>“No, I never did this! This isn’t mine I didn’t write any of this!” Will looked up at him, he was saying the truth, he did not write any of those pages on them. Something was wrong.</p><p>“Now it isn’t a good time to lie, is it?” Hannibal said getting the knife closer to his face.</p><p>He started pressing it into his cheek, the unscarred one, tears rolled down Will’s cheeks as he whimpered, trying to pull away from the blade.</p><p>“GOD HANNIBAL STOP YOU ARE HURTING ME!” Will screamed, tugging the knife out of his skin and setting free from Hannibal’s grip.</p><p>Blood and tears mixed.</p><p>Will decided it was time to run, even if it made him look guilty. He didn’t have a weapon and he couldn’t defend himself if Hannibal had decided to kill him.</p><p>Hannibal reached for him quickly and shoved him onto the wooden floor, Will groaned as he felt the sting of a needle right into his neck. The world began to blur and soon he was lost inside a forced slumber.</p><p>This time, Will Graham would have paid the price of his betrayal.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. To fight and to surrender</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>!!WARNING:<br/>This chapter contains a very detailed description of abuse and abusive behavior!!<br/>You have been warned!!!</p><p>Summary: Hannibal finds a very peculiar way to punish Will for what he believes he did to him.<br/>He will make him pay for everything he did: make him believe they were in love, to make him fall into a routine and betraying him like that.<br/>Will is divided between keep fighting or surrendering completely to Hannibal’s violence</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Will’s eyes slowly opened, his vision was blurry and he couldn’t see where he was.</p><p>He was freezing, laying on a thin mattress. He groaned in pain as he shifted, his wounded cheek had bloodstained the pillow under his head. He couldn't move too much, as his sight cleared he realized he was chained down inside a cage.<br/>
He had kicked the sheets from his body but now with a clumsy attempt, he grabbed it ad covered himself. It felt a bit better now.</p><p>Why was he chained inside a cage?<br/>
As he regained more consciousness, he looked around, the room was familiar...<br/>
It was their basement, he recognized it seeing all the boxes randomly disposed around the cage.</p><p>What the hell was going on?</p><p>Hannibal entered the room abruptly, to check if his little liar was awake.</p><p>“Why the fuck...You...You closed me in a cage” he slurred at the doctor that was standing there, looking at him.</p><p>“You play games with me, I am going to play with you,” Hannibal said, his tone was cold and stoic.</p><p>“I didn’t...No games” Will mumbled again.</p><p>“You are going to stay there until I decide what to do with you.”</p><p>The doctor said before getting closer to the cage. The chain that holds the metal collar around Will’s neck was reachable from outside the cage, and the doctor grabbed it, pulling it up.<br/>
This forced Will on his knees with a loud gasp. The cage could barely fit him on his knees, he had his head hit against the metal bars while the collar chocked him.</p><p>A smirk appeared on Hannibal’s lips as Will gasped for air.</p><p>“I will hurt you as much as you hurt me. You made all of this to give me to the hands of the FBI and honestly, I never thought you could go that low, Will.”</p><p>He said as he let go of the chain, Will fell back onto the mattress with a loud whimper, coughing as he tried to regain his breath.</p><p>“Now I have to leave you Will dearest, I have better things to do than wasting my time with a liar like you. I’ll consider bringing you food this evening.” he said before heading to the door.</p><p>Will managed to move his head enough to look at him. He was all dressed up in one of his suits and ties, his hair perfectly combed. Was he going to meet someone?</p><p>The basement door closed with a loud bang that echoed through the room and a few seconds after he left, the lights switched off, leaving Will alone in complete and utter darkness.<br/>
He whimpered softly, he didn’t write that report, he didn’t deserve this...</p><p> </p><p>Hannibal was deeply conflicted. He was enraged, the man he believed to be his soulmate and lover had betrayed him and he was actively working to make them get caught. On the other hand, he wanted to stop himself from hurting and eventually killing the man he loved, but the beast living inside of him always did an excellent job when he needed to silence that merciful voice that pleaded for Will.<br/>
In his younger years he found out that the best way of silencing it was finding some distractions, his hedonistic tendencies had developed trying to find a way to cope with his sister’s death and Lady Murasaki’s rejection.<br/>
Tonight he had decided to pamper himself, he went to a very exclusive restaurant, he had planned to bring Will here but now he was going to enjoy it all by himself.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> <br/>
</span>Expensive wines and meats, a lovely treat.<br/>
As an antipasto, he took some Vitello tonnato, a dish made with sliced veal with a creamy tuna flavored sauce, the wine a fine white, a Roero Arneis.<br/>
All the other dishes he ate were meat-based, he had to satiate that hunger he had.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> <br/>
</span>Looking down at the veal, he imagined how Will would have tasted, delicate and tasteful like this veal? Or would his meat be sour now that he had found out all of his deeds?<span class="Apple-converted-space"> <br/>
</span>He would have probably tasted acidic after all the pain Hannibal had planned to cause him.</p><p> </p><p>Hannibal came back home late, he had some leftovers he could give Will, he took one of Chanel’s bowls and put them in it before going downstairs.<br/>
Will had fallen asleep, there wasn’t much he could do in the dark and all chained up in a cage.<br/>
When the lights turned on, they flickered slightly, Will opened his eyes, those pretty baby blue irises were surrounded by a soft tint of red, he had cried while Hannibal was away and the doctor felt good seeing that pain in those eyes.<br/>
He opened the cage and moved away the pillows to put in the bowl.</p><p>“Eat” Hannibal demanded.</p><p>Will looked at the bowl and up at him.</p><p>“You must be fucking delusional if you think I’m going to eat from that”</p><p>“Like that or you won’t at all. The decision is yours.”</p><p>“Fuck off Hannibal”</p><p> </p><p>The doctor wasted no time taking the bowl and showing him the food that was in it before smashing it onto the concrete floor.</p><p>“You won’t eat until tomorrow then. Good night Will.”</p><p>Will didn’t reply and just laid back down.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> <br/>
</span>When the door closed and the lights went off soft whimpers filled the room, he had to prove to Hannibal he hadn’t made those reports.</p><p> </p><p>The next morning Will woke up in total darkness, covered in sweat. He hadn’t had a nightmare in a long time now.<br/>
He was standing in the middle of a snowstorm, he was freezing, he couldn’t see anything.<br/>
A sound from far away, it sounded like a laugh. He followed it, his steps slow as he walked against the wind.<br/>
Until he saw the source of the sound, a pitch-black fox, it looked at him with curious eyes. The fox ran away from him before jumping headfirst into the snow, Will thought it would pull out a rabbit, but it pulled out the folder instead, it laughed before shifting into a human form. Will couldn’t tell who the person was, it disappeared before he could see it.<br/>
The stag stood behind him, Will had only the time to turn around before the beast charged him, its antlers stabbing through his skin, the pain he felt was unbearable.</p><p> </p><p>Hannibal entered the room a couple of hours later, he cleaned up what he had thrown on the ground yesterday before walking to the cage.<br/>
He didn’t say a word as he opened the cage door and unchained him, the only chain left on him was the one attached to the collar.</p><p>“Out” Hannibal demanded.</p><p>Will got out of the cage, struggling through that small door, and followed Hannibal.<br/>
He believed the doctor would have killed him right there and then when he tied the chain to a water pipe.</p><p>“Get your clothes off.”</p><p>“What?” Will asked him in disbelief.</p><p>“Get them off”</p><p>Will just stared at him, he couldn’t believe what he was asking him right now.<br/>
But he was wrong.<br/>
Hannibal pointed to the waterpipe they used to clean the blood off the floor at him and let the water flow.<br/>
The flow was so strong it hurt when it hit him, it was cold as ice and it hurt him, he screamed.<br/>
Hannibal smiled as he “washed him”.</p><p>“Oh Will don’t you want to take your morning shower with me anymore?” he asked, the smirk on his lips made Will’s stomach twist.<br/>
By the time Hannibal had closed the water, Will had fallen to his knees trembling like a leaf, the collar tugging at his neck.<br/>
When Hannibal went to put him back in his cage Will was letting out broken sobs, tears rolling down his cheeks.</p><p>“See? If you had obeyed when I told you to get your clothes off, Will, now you would have clean clothes and a towel to dry yourself with.</p><p>Now you get to stay with wet clothes.”</p><p>“WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME?!” he yelled at him, crying louder.</p><p>“Ask yourself why Will.” The doctor replied before walking away.</p><p>As the door shut Will ripped his clothes off, he would have frozen with those on and threw them out of the cage.<br/>
Everything he could do was to cover himself up with the blankets and he even used the pillows to keep himself warm.<br/>
Hours seemed to last days.<br/>
At lunch he ate from that disgusting bowl while Hannibal ate from a tray, sitting on a chair right in front of him. He hated him. He hated this.<br/>
He cleaned up the bowl, he was so hungry...</p><p>“Can I have some more, please?” Will begged him.</p><p>“I don’t know, can you?” Hannibal smirked at him before getting up, leaving with his tray.</p><p> </p><p>Will soon got tired of all of this, he tried to find a way out, he understood how to get his legs free but what trapped him was the collar.<br/>
He could figure out a way to break the lock of the cage but he wouldn’t have got very far.<br/>
Will let his head rest on his pillow, his hair making it all wet.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> <br/>
</span>His mind wandered back to Molly, to Willy, if only he had stayed...<br/>
He could see himself fishing with his step-son, walking the dogs with his wife.<br/>
They loved him and he loved them.<br/>
He chose this instead.<br/>
He was to blame.</p><p> </p><p>At dinner he stayed silent as he ate, he had only one request when he finished.</p><p>“Can I at least see Chanel once in a while? Please”</p><p>“I don’t think so”</p><p>“WHY?!” he asked Hannibal, anger in his eyes.</p><p>“Brought her to the dog shelter. I didn’t want all that fur on my furniture anymore.”</p><p>It was a lie, Chanel was a very obedient dog, Hannibal would have never given her up.<br/>
But Will didn’t know that, he just broke into tears, turning his face away from Hannibal as he sobbed.</p><p>“I didn’t take you for an ugly crier Will”</p><p>This comment only made him cry louder.<br/>
Hannibal left satisfied with their interaction and went back upstairs, he could still hear him cry as walked away.</p><p> </p><p>Will fell asleep a couple of hours later when he finally managed to stop crying and warm his naked body up enough.<br/>
Why didn’t Hannibal just kill him instead?<br/>
What was he waiting for?<br/>
He wanted to leave, he wanted to run. He wanted to die.</p><p> </p><p>The next following days followed the same routine, except that Hannibal noticed Will was starting to slowly become more compliant and less demanding.<br/>
Some days Will didn’t speak at all to him. He wasn’t crying anymore either.<br/>
It was Sunday or at least so Will thought when Hannibal gave him that question.</p><p>“Are you surrendering, Will? Are you going to admit to your faults?” Hannibal asked as he collected his empty bowl.</p><p>Will didn’t reply, he ignored the question altogether.</p><p>“I take silence as a yes, but I shall never know to which one of those questions, eh?”</p><p>Silence.</p><p>Will wasn’t going to waste another word with him.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>For those who might worry about me:<br/>Everything in this fiction is a more or less symbolic representation of my trauma, nothing this bad happened to me.<br/>I want to assure you that I am doing good now, I just need to find a way to cope.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The laughing fox</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hannibal had been giving Will the same treatment for months.</p><p>Eventually, due to the cold of the basement and the “showers”, Will got weaker and weaker until he got sick.<br/>
His coughing echoed through the room. This upset Hannibal immensely, he couldn't eat him now that he was sick.</p><p>The doctor was more busy than usual lately, going on and off hunting sprees, it was more so to relieve some stress than anything. Usually, he would have spent some time with Will to do that, even the silliest of things with him managed to make him relax, but now every time he saw Will in that cage he saw a traitor paying for his wrongdoings and it made him feel both righteous and miserable, he loved the man and ached for him, he wanted so bad to pull him out of there and get him back to their normal life.</p><p>Will spent most of the day sleeping, his breathing loud and irregular, he must have pneumonia or something along the lines. He found happiness in the thought that he would have died eventually. <br/>
He became too weak to stand up, even for washing and getting dressed up, and the doctor refused to help in any way, he just gave up to the plea to have more blankets. When Will asked for them, his eyes were begging him, his voice raspy, he coughed, the sound he made echoed through the basement.</p><p> </p><p>He went hunting, but it was a peculiar person he was going after so he had to ask for backup.<br/>
Chiyoh came with him to make sure that the man’s bodyguards wouldn’t have bothered Hannibal. The car trip was rather long to reach for his manor.</p><p>“So, I get you don’t have any more ties on you.” She said casually</p><p>“He isn’t dead.”</p><p>“Oh. I thought you would have killed him right away.”</p><p>Hannibal had told her about what Will had done to him and what he was planning to do to the agent.</p><p>“No, I can’t bring myself to.”</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p>Will put himself under the blankets, his body was boiling but he felt like he was freezing. He looked outside the cage, the black fox was staring at him. It made a sound similar to a laugh, it echoed in his head, he felt like the world was spinning, he laid his head back down on the pillow and let himself fall asleep once again.</p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>“You forgot what is important and what not, Hannibal.”</p><p>Hannibal silently turned to look at her for a second.</p><p>“He betrayed you several times, you should have got rid of him by now.”</p><p>“I cannot bring myself to.” he insisted.</p><p>“If you forgive him you better forgive your sister’s killers too because he was planning on your death.”</p><p>A death glare. A cold and vicious glare was the one that Hannibal gave her. He stopped the car and sighed.</p><p>“Then I guess we are finishing this,” Hannibal stated.</p><p>It was time for him to end Will once for all.</p>
<hr/><p>
  
</p><p>When they came home, they both got to the basement, Hannibal decided that the best way to kill him was a painless one, a huge dose of barbiturates would make his brain stop functioning completely and make him stop breathing in a matter of minutes.<br/>
His hands were shaking, he had tears in his eyes as he prepared the syringe.<br/>
He didn’t want to do this, even if he wanted Will to suffer he didn’t want him to die. He wanted things to go back, he wanted time to reverse...<br/>
He recomposed himself before turning around and walking to the cage. His steps echoed in the room. </p><p>Will’s breathing was fatigued, he felt the stag breathing on his shoulder.</p><p> </p><p>As he was getting the needle into his skin, Chiyoh let out a chuckle.</p><p>“I did it well, didn’t I?” She asked maliciously.</p><p>“You did what good?” Hannibal got the needle away and faked to push the medication into his skin, actually got it to drip down on the blankets.</p><p>“The report. You are free Hannibal. You can go back to think about what’s important in your life.<br/>
Honor the memory of Mischa.”</p><p>The words dripped from her lips like venom. Hannibal froze unable to react to what she had just confessed.</p><p>He had put Will through months of torture because of her.</p><p>The fox was laughing loudly in Will’s head, she had tricked the stag and she was laughing.</p><p>But the stag would have made sure this was her last laugh.</p><p> </p><p>Hannibal got up slowly, clenching his fists. He got to the table and let the syringe down silently.</p><p>He turned around, his expression enraged.</p><p>“LEAVE.”</p><p>Hannibal screamed at her. His hand pointing at the door.<br/>
He didn’t want to kill Chiyoh, they grew up together. But he would give her an ultimatum.<br/>
Chiyoh jumped at his voice. She decided it was better to do so while he still gave her the chance.</p><p> </p><p>Hannibal was trembling, he had committed the most heinous acts against Will, he should have believed him from the beginning.<br/>
Luckily enough he had managed to see that something was wrong with Chiyoh’s insistence.</p><p>He didn’t know what he could repair now, but he would have everything to save Will.<br/>
He got him out of the cage and brought him upstairs to their bedroom.</p><p>The way he was breathing suggested he had pneumonia and it was severe. He couldn’t bring him to the hospital, they could have been caught, he needed antibiotics as soon as possible. <br/>
It was a quick trip to the city’s slums to find what he needed.<br/>
But Will’s recovery would have been extremely slow and he feared it was too late at all...</p><p> </p><p>Night fell and Hannibal watched over Will, he had given him the first dose of antibiotics. When breathing became too labored he helped him with an oxygen mask, connected to a portable oxygen concentrator.<br/>
He rented it from a local pharmacy, he needed to fake a medical prescription to get one and had to pay upfront.</p><p>He stayed up all night that night, and many more just to make sure Will was breathing and taking care of him.<br/>
It became almost an obsession, every time he heard a noise coming from Will he would run to him.</p><p>Hannibal had to repent for what he had done, not knowing if forgiveness was something he would have ever received from upon.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Silence</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hannibal’s care is inconvenient and Will decides to leave.<br/></p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It took three weeks for Will to feel at least slightly better.<br/>
The fever started to lower after the first week but the coughing was still there.<br/>
Hannibal took care of him day and night.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> <br/>
</span>And Will allowed him to do so, but he was barely tolerating it. He hated the fake routine that the doctor had brought upon him: he woke him up in the morning for a warm bath before breakfast.<br/>
He helped him into clean clothes, took care of his hair, and then he brought Will back to bed.<br/>
The sheets were always clean, the room always sparkling.<br/>
He hated this.<br/>
Hannibal was pretending nothing had happened.</p><p> </p><p>Or at least he wished he could pretend.<br/>
Will refused to speak.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> <br/>
</span>He didn’t ask for things, he did everything by himself as soon as he could do it.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> <br/>
</span>The silence worried him, his fever was really bad during the first week and he was afraid it might have damaged Will’s brain, making him mute.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> |<br/>
</span>But this was a punishment, a way to say “I hate you” that was louder than everything he could have ever said. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> <br/>
</span>That morning followed the usual silent routine, Will showered, dressed up, and met Hannibal in the kitchen.</p><p> </p><p>“I want to leave.”<span class="Apple-converted-space"> <br/>
</span>Will broke that silence after weeks, during breakfast, making Hannibal almost choke on his coffee.<br/>
Hannibal looked at him baffled.<br/>
“After I’m done with antibiotics I want to leave,” he said before taking a sip of his tea. “I will bring my stuff with me. And Chanel.”<br/>
“You can’t leave.”<br/>
“I can’t or you won't let me?” he asked the doctor. “Are you planning to put me in the cage again if I try?”<span class="Apple-converted-space"> <br/>
</span>At this point, Will was pushing him.<br/>
“I won’t, but you need medication.”<br/>
“Ah, yes. For asthma. That you caused.”<br/>
“It was an unfortunate consequence.”<br/>
“Of something you did, Hannibal. You abused me and treated me like an animal for months. Were you expecting me to stay?” He asked him.<br/>
“I was hoping for forgiveness.”<span class="Apple-converted-space"> <br/>
</span>Will looked at him, he put down his cup before bursting into laughter, his eyes were tearful.<br/>
This bastard was something, huh?<br/>
“We are way past forgiveness Hannibal. You were going to kill me. That was your plan.”<br/>
“I was deceived” Hannibal put on his stoic face.<br/>
“You didn't believe me, NOT ONCE! I told you over and over again that I didn't do it!” he said getting up all of a sudden. Tears were now making his cheeks wet.<br/>
“And you cheated on me, didn't you? All those nights you left in those nice suits?”<br/>
Hannibal sighed, he was defeated.<br/>
“I did. More romantically so than physically.”</p><p>He made up his mind. He would have left right away.<br/>
He took a backpack and put some stuff he would have needed in it, altogether with his antibiotics and other medications.<br/>
His mind felt foggy but he had to go. He couldn't stop now or he feared Hannibal would have kept him there, forever.<br/>
Will was quick to gather his stuff, he left after a couple of minutes, and Hannibal didn't stop him.<br/>
He was still sitting there at the table, hands on his face. Tears got his face wet, but his lament was silent.</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Deception</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Weeks passed by, Will never came back home.<br/>Hannibal started hunting obsessively, he didn’t even need the meat anymore. He took nothing from them, they had nothing he wanted.<br/>But the headlines didn’t only report his victims. There was a new killer around, he had no stable pattern, he gave the police always a new facade. What connected all his victims was a stab wound at the heart, inflicted post mortem.<br/>Somehow, Hannibal knew that it was Will. He read the newspaper, he was empathizing and imitating every time with some other killer to cover for himself. But the stab at the heart was his signature, his design.<br/>The police were lost, they had no DNA and just an idea of the motive.<br/>Hannibal knew that he was on Will’s list.<br/><br/>The sun was setting, Hannibal was on his balcony when he heard the door unlock.<br/>Will.<br/>He got downstairs to see him standing in the living room.<br/>“You came back...”<br/>“I did,” Will replied coldly.<br/>His hair was a mess, he looked like he lost at least twenty pounds at least.<br/>But Chanel looked like she got fattier a little bit. She barked at Hannibal as she wiggled her tail.<br/>“Are you here for me?” The doctor asked him<br/>“For you? No.”<br/>“Why did you come back then?”<br/>“I’m starving...” his blue eyes absently looking into his maroon ones.<br/>“I had no more money and I...”<br/>“I’ll cook you something. Sit.”</p><hr/><p>Hannibal started cooking him something good for someone who hadn’t eaten in a while. Salmon and brown rice,<br/>He heard Will’s step, he was coming into the kitchen.<br/>“It smells great...”<br/>He whispered, looking at the cooking pan. Will felt like he could drool.<br/>He rested his chin on Hannibal’s shoulder.</p><p>It was a swift movement.<br/>Hannibal turned around to get Will’s wrists, the grip was so tight around those arms that were all bone that the knife he had in his hands fell to the ground.<br/>“You came here to kill me.” The doctor hissed.<br/>“Yes.”<br/>“Why? I thought we were done, weren’t we?”<br/>“Can’t live with you. Can’t live without you.”<br/>“Killing me would set you free, would it make you free from the boundary we have?”<br/>“You cut that boundary when you threw me into that cage, Hannibal.”<br/>He tried to set free from that grip but he soon realized he wasn’t going anywhere. He felt fatigued, too tired to fight as Hannibal pushed him against the wall.<br/>“Why did you kill all those people?”<br/>“Because they are just like you. Cheaters and abusers.”<br/>“Was I the last one on your list?”<br/>“Yes...”<br/>Hannibal gave him a disgusted look.<br/>“I’m almost tempted to throw you back in that cage. I’d make you starve this time.”<br/>“It would be only a couple of days then, spare yourself the bother and just end me.” Will spat out, poisonous words.<br/>Hannibal looked at the hate in those blue eyes, those beautiful blue eyes that were once so loving... He would have loved to have them back so much.<br/>“Go sit down at the table.” He said letting go of his arms and moving away from him. He took the small pocket knife from the ground before going back to the dish he was making.<br/>Will obeyed, he would have had other chances to kill him, but now had to be wary of his moves.</p><p>Hannibal served him food that Will ate eagerly, he hadn’t had a proper meal in a long time.<br/>“What is your plan now? Will you stop killing?” The doctor asked him.<br/>“Yes. I need to hide still.”<br/>“You can take the guests’ room.”<br/>“I will.”</p><p>“Of course you will.” Hannibal thought to himself.<br/>Will started feeling dizzy, as the doctor started taking away the dishes.<br/>He managed to stand up, looking at him as he got back into their dining room.<br/>“What did you do to me..?” He slurred out before he fainted. The world turning to black as he fell onto the floor.</p>
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